Core network selection function in a radio access network for machine-to-machine (m2m) communications

ABSTRACT

Control plane devices are selected by an access point for establishment of end-to-end control plane for a user equipment (UE) coupled to (or requesting to couple to) the access point. In one aspect, the selection is based on data extracted during the setup and/or registration messages communicated between the access point and UE during attachment of the UE to the access point and/or an internal derived mapping of the control pane devices to the access point. In one example, a control plane device pool is segregated to and different sets of control plane devices are selected and utilized to handle traffic associated with different services to improve scaling and flexibility.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The subject application is a continuation of, and claims priority toeach of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/660,774 (now U.S. Pat. No.______), filed Jul. 26, 2017, and entitled “A CORE NETWORK SELECTIONFUNCTION IN A RADIO ACCESS NETWORK FOR MACHINE-TO-MACHINE (M2M)COMMUNICATIONS,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/959,960 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,749,773), filed Dec. 4, 2015, andentitled “A CORE NETWORK SELECTION FUNCTION IN A RADIO ACCESS NETWORKFOR MACHINE-TO-MACHINE (M2M) COMMUNICATIONS,” the entireties of whichapplications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject disclosure relates to wireless communications, e.g., a corenetwork selection function in a radio access network formachine-to-machine (M2M) communications.

BACKGROUND

The Internet of Things (IoT) holds a great promise for the future of aglobal communications industry. The connectivity of humans and machines(e.g., smart phones, tablet computers, home appliances, etc.) viahigh-speed mobile internet technologies such as Long Term Evolution(LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) and its evolution forms the basis for asuccessful global IoT implementation.

With projections anywhere from twenty billion to a hundred billionconnected things (e.g., machines) by the year 2020, the IoT affectsvarious industries, organizations, companies, and service providers thatcreate the machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, network infrastructuresolutions, and end users. Delivering a successful and cost-effectiveconsumer as well as enterprise IoT solutions with a complex connectivitymodel can pose several challenges. This can affect service providernetworks that need to meet such business challenges and commitments.Conventional access networking and core networking technologies havesignificant shortcomings to meet the growing connectivity demands of M2Mdevices, for example, to be able to setup faster connections on demandas well as during outage or disaster situations where certain networkelements may recover from failure after interruptions.

Conventionally, when a M2M device powers up and needs to connect to thenetwork to obtain a service, the device attaches to an eNodeB (eNB) andthen communicates with a Mobility Management Entity (MME) that servesthe eNB prior to establishing the session and data connection with anetwork gateway and/or application server. As the volume of M2M devicesin a given serving eNB area grows, the serving MME may not be able tohandle the large instantaneous load, resulting in communication failuresand/or poor customer satisfaction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example system that facilitates dynamic controlplane node selection for end-to-end control plane establishment.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example system for dynamic upstream deviceselection.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example system for assigning one or more controlplane devices for handling machine-to-machine (M2M) traffic.

FIG. 4 illustrates example Long Term Evolution (LTE)/Third Generation(3G) broadcast network architecture for efficiently establishing controlplane session and connection for M2M traffic.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example system that depicts an example mapping ofeNodeBs (eNBs) with their serving Mobility Management Entities (MMEs).

FIG. 6 illustrates an example system that facilitates automating one ormore features in accordance with the subject embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example method that facilitates efficient controlnode selection.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example method that facilitates efficient M2Msetup in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example embodiment of an access point that canfacilitate targeted control node selection for a specific service.

FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram of a computer operable to executethe disclosed communication architecture.

FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a computing environmentin accordance with the subject specification

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more embodiments are now described with reference to thedrawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to likeelements throughout. In the following description, for purposes ofexplanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of the various embodiments. It may be evident,however, that the various embodiments can be practiced without thesespecific details, e.g., without applying to any particular networkedenvironment or standard. In other instances, well-known structures anddevices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitatedescribing the embodiments in additional detail.

As used in this application, the terms “component,” “module,” “system,”“interface,” “node,” “platform,” “server,” “controller,” “entity,”“element,” “gateway,” or the like are generally intended to refer to acomputer-related entity, either hardware, a combination of hardware andsoftware, software, or software in execution or an entity related to anoperational machine with one or more specific functionalities. Forexample, a component may be, but is not limited to being, a processrunning on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a threadof execution, computer-executable instruction(s), a program, and/or acomputer. By way of illustration, both an application running on acontroller and the controller can be a component. One or more componentsmay reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a componentmay be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or morecomputers. As another example, an interface can include input/output(I/O) components as well as associated processor, application, and/orAPI components.

Further, the various embodiments can be implemented as a method,apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and/orengineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or anycombination thereof to control a computer to implement one or moreaspects of the disclosed subject matter. An article of manufacture canencompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readabledevice or computer-readable storage/communications media. For example,computer readable storage media can include but are not limited tomagnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strips. . . ), optical disks (e.g., compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk(DVD) . . . ), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., card, stick,key drive . . . ). Of course, those skilled in the art will recognizemany modifications can be made to this configuration without departingfrom the scope or spirit of the various embodiments.

In addition, the word “example” or “exemplary” is used herein to meanserving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or designdescribed herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed aspreferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use ofthe word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concretefashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to meanan inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unlessspecified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” isintended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, ifX employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs Aor B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition,the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appendedclaims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unlessspecified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singularform.

Moreover, terms like “user equipment,” “communication device,” “mobiledevice,” “mobile station,” and similar terminology, refer to a wired orwireless communication-capable device utilized by a subscriber or userof a wired or wireless communication service to receive or convey data,control, voice, video, sound, gaming, or substantially any data-streamor signaling-stream. The foregoing terms are utilized interchangeably inthe subject specification and related drawings. Data and signalingstreams can be packetized or frame-based flows. Further, the terms“user,” “subscriber,” “consumer,” “customer,” and the like are employedinterchangeably throughout the subject specification, unless contextwarrants particular distinction(s) among the terms. It should beappreciated that such terms can refer to human entities or automatedcomponents supported through artificial intelligence (e.g., a capacityto make inference based on complex mathematical formalisms), which canprovide simulated vision, sound recognition and so forth.

Aspects or features of the disclosed subject matter can be exploited insubstantially any wired or wireless communication technology; e.g.,Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), WiFi, WorldwideInteroperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), General Packet RadioService (GPRS), Enhanced GPRS, Third Generation Partnership Project(3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE), Third Generation Partnership Project 2(3GPP2) Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA),Zigbee, or another IEEE 802.XX technology, Fifth generation (5G), etc.Additionally, substantially all aspects of the disclosed subject mattercan be exploited in legacy (e.g., wireline) telecommunicationtechnologies.

The systems and methods disclosed herein provide an intelligent approachfor targeted Mobility Management Entity (MME) selection from a MME poolfor routing traffic received from a user equipment (UE) by an eNodeB(eNB). In one aspect, the eNB can select the MME based on data extractedduring the setup messages exchanged between the eNB and UE duringattachment of the UE to the eNB and/or based on an internal derivedmapping of the MME to the eNB. The disclosed systems and methodssignificantly simplify MME selection and avoid the overhead associatedwith a non-access stratum (NAS) layer re-routing functionality proposedby the 3GPP standards

Referring initially to FIG. 1, there illustrated is an example system100 that facilitates dynamic control plane node selection for end-to-endcontrol plane establishment, according to one or more aspects of thedisclosed subject matter. As an example, system 100 can be part of acommunication network such as a cellular network. In one aspect, anaccess point 102 can select a control plane device 104 to establish acontrol plane for a data session associated with a user equipment (UE)106 coupled to the access point 102. As an example, the control planedevices can include, but are not limited to, an MME and/or a ServingGPRS Support Node (SGSN). Further, the UE 106 can include most anyelectronic communication device such as, but not limited to, most anyconsumer electronic device, for example, a tablet computer, a digitalmedia player, a digital camera, a cellular phone, a personal computer, apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a laptop, a wearabledevice (e.g., smart watch, connected glasses, wrist monitor, etc.), agaming system, etc. Furthermore, the UE 106 can includemachine-to-machine (M2M) devices such as, but not limited to, most anyLTE-based appliance, machine, and/or device. As an example, M2M devicescomprises one or more sensors and/or an radio-frequency identification(RFID) reader, and are typically employed for automated datatransmission and/or measurement between mechanical and/or electronicdevices. It is noted that the UE 106 can be mobile, have limitedmobility and/or be stationary.

According to an embodiment, the access point 102 can include a selectioncomponent 108 that identifies and/or assigns a control plane device 104for a UE 106, for example, based on various parameters and/orcharacteristics associated with the UE 106, data session, and/orservice. For example, the selection component 108 can select anappropriate control plane device 104 based on the type of device (e.g.,M2M device, non-M2M device, smartphone, tablet, fitness tracker, etc.),type of service/application (e.g., video, voice, real-time, non realtime, etc.), establishment cause of the data session (e.g., emergencyservice, non-emergency service, etc.), priority assigned to the service,etc. Additionally or alternatively, the selection component 108 canemploy control plane device data 110, for example, current load,preferences, historical performance data, etc. associated with availablecontrol plane devices 104.

Typically, M2M devices can have different characteristics than regularUEs (e.g., non-M2M devices, such as smart phones, tablet computers,personal computers, etc.). For example, regular UEs are generally arealways on and performing multiple applications at any given time. Thus,regular UEs need always-on connectivity with a network. However, thenetwork connectivity and/or communication characteristics of M2M devicesvary based on applications and/or industry. Generally, in one aspect, alarge portion of M2M devices is not continuously on. For example, aconnected-utility meter is not coupled to the network and/orcommunicating with the network all day; however, a connected-medicaldevice (e.g., a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, X-ray machine,and/or a critical medical diagnostic equipment connected to a patient)can be continuously on (e.g., frequently communicating via the network).In another aspect, the same M2M device may change itscommunication/connectivity characteristics at different times and/orlocations. For example, connected cars can be intermittently on,depending on whether the driver is in the car or the car is parked in alot. Accordingly, M2M devices have non-uniform and oftentimesunpredictable traffic patterns.

Further, in one example, a larger number of M2M devices can connect tothe network at the same (or substantially the same) time. For example,in dense urban environments (e.g., multi-dwelling units) a large numberof M2M devices can be located within a given area (as compared toregular devices). In an example scenario when power is restored after apower outage, the large number of M2M devices can be turned on at thesame (or substantially the same) time and try to attach to the network,to reset to a normal mode of operation after suffering a power failure.In this example scenario, the serving control plane device may not beable to handle the instantaneous load. In another example scenario, theserving control plane device may not have sufficient capacity to handletraffic from regular UEs, for example, during a user swarm (e.g., duringa concert, sporting event, political rally, parade, etc.) at a specificserving area or location. Referring back to FIG. 1, the selectioncomponent 108 can assign a dedicated control plane device to serve M2Mdevices (or certain a class of M2M devices based on systemic attributes,priority access, etc.). In addition, the selection component 108 canselect optimal control plane devices 104 for handling traffic fromregular UEs.

Conventionally, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the control planedevices 104 would be pre-provisioned in the access point 102 and theaccess point 102 would utilize a round robin scheme to select controlplane device 104 for received traffic. This selection is static sincethe IP addresses have been pre-provisioned in access point 102. Incontrast, system 100 provides a dynamic selection of control planedevices 104 based on an analysis of data associated with the UE 106and/or service, for example, subsequent to receiving a connectionrequest from the UE 106.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there illustrated is an example system 200 fordynamic upstream device selection, in accordance with an aspect of thesubject disclosure. In one aspect, the access point 102 dynamicallyallocates and selects the upstream control plane entities (e.g., MMEsand SGSNs) for a data session such that the control plane is establishedbefore the user plane traffic can be transferred to/from a UE (e.g., UE106). It is noted that the access point 102 and selection component 108can include functionality as more fully described herein, for example,as described above with regard to system 100. Further, it is noted thatthe term “upstream” as used herein refers to a direction in which datasent for a “stream” flowing from a network service provider device (orcontent provider device) to a user device. As an example, if a firstdevice is closer to (fewer hops away from) the network service providerdevice (or content provider device) than a second device, then the firstdevice is said to be upstream from the second device or conversely, thesecond device is downstream from the first device.

The access point 102 includes a messaging component 202 that can receiveattachment data from one or more UEs (e.g., UE 106) that request accessto connect to the access point 102. In one example, the messagingcomponent 202 can facilitate a radio resource control (RRC) connectionestablishment procedure that configures radio bearers between the accesspoint 102 and a UE. Typically, the RRC connection establishmentcomprises a RRC Connection Request message, a RRC Connection Setupmessage and a RRC Connection Setup complete message. In one aspect, adata collection component 204 can extract information from the RRCConnection Request, sent from the UE to the access point 102. As anexample, the information can include, but is not limited to, UEidentity, connection establishment cause (e.g., emergency service ornon-emergency service), type of UE (e.g., M2M device or non-M2M device),UE category (e.g., associated with a combined uplink and downlinkcapability of the UE), service type (e.g., low priority dataapplication, voice traffic, video traffic, mission critical application,etc.), and the like.

Additionally or alternatively, the data collection component 204 canreceive network-related information from a management component 206(e.g., periodically, in response to an event, at a specified time,etc.). The management component 206 can be partially or completelydeployed within a core network and/or radio access network (RAN). As anexample, the network-related information can include, but is not limitedto, current (and/or predicted) load and/or traffic utilization of thecontrol plane devices, control plane device pool dynamics, identitiesand/or address data (e.g., IP addresses) of control plane devices thatare designated (e.g., by other access points) for handling specificservices (e.g., M2M traffic), etc. Further, the data collectioncomponent 204 can determine (e.g., measure and/or receive from themanagement component 206) round trip time (RTT) for messages sentbetween the access point 102 and the control plane devices. In oneaspect, management component 206 can continuously (or frequently) and/orproactively map RAN and MME network elements and transfer the updateddata to the access point 102. Thus, the access point 102 can constantly(or frequently) evaluate its peer nodes health and utilization to ensuresmart and efficient signaling routing to the optimal control planedevices in the network.

According to an embodiment, an analysis component 208 can analyze theinformation collected by the data collection component 204 to generatemapping data 210 that represents a correlation mapping of the controlplane devices with UEs that are to be served based on the different UEand control plane devices characteristics. In addition, the analysiscomponent can select one or more control plane devices for servingspecific UEs and/or services. In one aspect, the mapping data 210 can bestored in a data store 212. Although depicted as completely residingwithin the access point 102, it is noted that the data store 212 may belocally or remotely coupled to the access point 102 and/or may bedistributed across multiple network devices (not shown). As an example,the mapping data 210 can be updated periodically (or at a specifiedtime) based on the RRC request data (e.g., determined by the datacollection component 204).

In an aspect, a routing component 214 can be utilized to facilitateestablishment of end-to-end control plane for a data session. Moreover,the routing component 214 can route control plane data received from UEsto corresponding control plane devices based on the mapping data 210.For example, if determined that the UE is a M2M device, the controlplane data received from the UE can be routed to a control plane devicededicated to serve M2M traffic. Accordingly, the M2M traffic does notdisrupt other MMEs, for example, that are managing mission critical orbusiness critical type traffic (e.g., associated with smartphones,tablet computers, etc.) that are typically high paying revenue modelsfor a network operator. Moreover, by managing a control plane devicepool to be able to handle M2M traffic and non-M2M traffic in asegregated manner, improved scaling can be achieved for individualconfigurations. As volume increases, the access point 102 can controlM2M traffic based on characteristics that are supported by the controlplane device that has been dedicated for M2M traffic and similarlycontrol other traffic based on characteristics of the other controlplane device of a regional pool. Additionally or optionally, theanalysis component 208 can perform a correlation mapping of the varyingnumber of devices that are to be served by the access point 102 based onthe information determined by the data collection component 204. In oneexample, the access point 102 can reject low priority devices with anextended backoff based on internal attributes to maintain a safety netfor operation.

System 200 avoids pre-provisioning of the access point 102 with staticmapping information for control plane devices and instead, provides aflexible and scalable design. It is noted that the data store 212 caninclude volatile memory(s) or nonvolatile memory(s), or can include bothvolatile and nonvolatile memory(s). Examples of suitable types ofvolatile and non-volatile memory are described below with reference toFIG. 10. The memory (e.g., data stores, databases) of the subjectsystems and methods is intended to comprise, without being limited to,these and any other suitable types of memory.

FIG. 3 there illustrated is an example system 300 for assigning one ormore control plane devices for handling M2M traffic, in accordance withan aspect of the subject disclosure. System 300 depicts access points,eNodeBs (eNBs) 302 ₁-302 _(N) (where N is most any natural numbergreater than 1), and control plane devices, MMEs 304 ₁-304 _(K) (where Kis most any natural number greater than 1), in a single pool (306, 308)configuration. In one aspect, the eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N) dynamicallyallocate and select the upstream control plane entities, MMEs 304 ₁-304_(K), for data sessions associated with respective UEs 310 ₁-310 _(J)(where J is most any natural number) such that the control plane isestablished before the user plane data can be transferred to/from theUEs 310 ₁-310 _(J). It is noted that the eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N) can besubstantially similar to access point 102 and can include functionalityas more fully described herein, for example, as described above withregard to access point 102; MMEs 304 ₁-304 _(K) can be substantiallysimilar to control plane devices 104 and can include functionality asmore fully described herein, for example, as described above with regardto control plane devices 104; and UEs 310 ₁-310 _(J) can besubstantially similar to UE 106 and can include functionality as morefully described herein, for example, as described above with regard toUE 106.

In this example system 300, the set of access points, eNBs 302 ₁-302_(N), deployed within a regional pool 306 is served by MMEs 304 ₁-304_(K), deployed within a regional pool 308, which can be distributedacross one or more data center locations. Typically, the MMEs 304 ₁-304_(K) manage the signaling related to mobility and security(authentication and authorization) for eNB 302 ₁-302 _(N) access. MMEs304 ₁-304 _(K) can also manage tracking and paging procedures of the LTEUEs in idle-mode. As an example, MMEs 304 ₁-304 _(K) can include atleast a portion of functionality defined by 3GPP standards that arehereby incorporated by reference herein.

The eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N), served by such a regional pool 308 of MMEs 304₁-304 _(K), can configure the S1-MME and M3 IP addresses of each MME 304₁-304 _(K) within the pool 308 leading to complex configuration and IPaddress management. As the number of MMEs in the pool 308 grows, theoverall configuration complexity increases. However, a large poolprovides advantages, such as, but not limited to, capacity scaling,reliability and/or robust network operating conditions in case of anodal failover within the pool 308. In such a regional pool design thatconsist of several MMEs across two (or more) data center locations, theeNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N) can select a set of the MMEs 304 ₁-304 _(K) withineach location to handle special types of traffic such as, but notlimited to, M2M/IoT traffic. In example system 300, MME 1 (304 ₁) hasbeen selected to handle M2M/IoT traffic (depicted by dashed lines);whereas, the MMEs 304 ₂-304 _(K) can handle non-M2M/IoT traffic(depicted by solid lines). The number of MMEs to be dedicated to serveM2M/IoT traffic in a given data center within the regional pool can varyaccording to operator specific design and/or deployment criteria. In oneexample, the selected MMEs (e.g., MME 304 ₁) can have a dedicated groupor pool identifier (ID) so that they can be targeted for handlingM2M/IoT traffic and are not the primary designated resources for othermobility services.

Since the RAN markets serve a variety of mobility traffic, all eNBs 302₁-302 _(N) can be configured with the S1-MME and M3 IP addresses of theMMEs 304 ₁-304 _(K) in that regional pool. However, for M2M/IoT traffichandling, although the S1/M3 links exist by virtue of transport networklayer connectivity at an eNB (e.g., eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N)), the eNB (e.g.,eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N)) serving an M2M UE (e.g., UEs 310 ₁-310 _(J)) canintelligently route the S1/M3 application layer traffic to anappropriate MME, MME 1 (304 ₁) based on a derived internal mappingcriteria (e.g., mapping data 210), rather than employing a blind-foldround robin approach.

According to an aspect, the M2M UE (e.g., UEs 310 ₁-310 _(J)) cantransmit a RRC Connection Request with its serving eNB (e.g., eNBs 302₁-302 _(N)) and complete the RRC Connection setup process before theNon-access Stratum (NAS) layer communication can be performed with anMME (e.g., MME 304 ₁). In one example, an initial NAS layer message canpiggyback on (e.g., be aggregated within or be appended to) the RRCConnection Setup Complete message so that the eNB (e.g., eNBs 302 ₁-302_(N)) can forward it to the MME (e.g., MME 304 ₁). Alternatively, theNAS layer message can be sent independently from the M2M UE (e.g., UEs310 ₁-310 _(J)) to its serving eNB (e.g., eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N)). When theM2M UE (e.g., UEs 310 ₁-310 _(J)) has successfully established the RRCconnection with its serving eNB (e.g., eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N)), the servingeNB (e.g., eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N)) can extract (e.g., by employing the datacollection component 204) information, such as, but not limited to, theUE identity, the RRC establishment cause attributes, etc. and correlate(e.g., by employing the analysis component 208) that information withthe MME mapping (e.g., mapping data 210) that it derived based on theS1/M3 link establishments and/or learning from the management component206. It is noted that the management component 206 can synchronize withthe eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N) and MMEs 304 ₁-304 _(K) to determine the latestupdated mapping information.

The serving eNB (e.g., eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N)) can determine the UE type toMME mapping and can then exchange the S1/M3 application layer messageswith the selected MME to continue with the session and connectionestablishment process. For example, if determined that the UE is an M2MUE, the serving eNB (e.g., eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N)) can exchange the S1/M3application layer messages with MME 1 (304 ₁). Accordingly, system 300significantly simplifies the overall control plane session andconnection establishment process and avoids the complex NAS re-routingfunctionality conventionally performed by eNBs that route from theapplication layer messages from an eNB to an MME, back from the MME tothe eNB, and then again from the eNB to a target MME. Moreover, byavoiding the complex NAS-layer rerouting procedures defined in the 3GPPstandards, system 300 provides an improved utilization of the corenetwork MME pooled resources to handle a variety of mobility traffic aswell as obtain the best control plane behavior for M2M serviceperformance. In addition, the optional UE subscription learning processthat is performed between conventional MMEs and Home subscriber server(HSS) as proposed in the 3GPP standards is avoided, further reducingsignaling overhead and complexity. Moreover, the upfront control planeestablishment process between the eNB (e.g., eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N)) andselected MME 1 (304 ₁), disclosed herein, achieves optimal nodeselection and routing to simplify the overall session as well asconnection establishment time.

It is noted that although FIG. 3 depicts only one MME (MME 1 304 ₁)selected for M2M traffic, adequate MME redundancy could be built intothe geo-redundant data center MME pool design so that nodal and sitelevel failures during extraneous situations are taken care of to provideservice continuity. Further, in the absence of availability of adedicated MME (MME 1 304 ₁), the M2M traffic and/or devices can fallback to other MME resources (e.g., MMEs 304 ₂-304 _(K)) subject to theiravailability. Further, although system 300 is described with respect toa LTE network, it is appreciated that the subject disclosure is notlimited to LTE networks and can be utilized in most any communicationnetwork. For example, in virtualized environments with cloud RANs and/orcloud MMEs (e.g., wherein eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N) and/or MMEs 304 ₁-304 _(K)are virtual devices/functions), the cloud RANs can allocate and/orselect resources of the cloud are dedicated and/or reserved to handleM2M traffic.

In one aspect, a limited licensing model can be utilized for theselected MME 1 304 ₁, wherein only a portion of the capacity of the MME1 304 ₁, e.g., that is determined based on current and/or projected M2Mtraffic patterns, can be licensed. As traffic patterns change, the modelcan be modified to increase the licensed capacity of the MME 1 304 ₁,such that the MME 1 304 ₁ can handle more M2M traffic.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there illustrated is LTE/3G broadcast networkarchitecture 400 for efficiently establishing control plane session andconnection for M2M traffic, according to an aspect of the subjectdisclosure. According to an aspect, a dedicated MME, MME 304, can beutilized to handle M2M traffic. Such a dedicated MME configuration canbe used in a pooled resource design to target not only regular unicastM2M traffic originations/terminations but also for broadcast M2Mtraffic. It is noted that the eNB 302 can be substantially similar toeNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N) and can include functionality as more fullydescribed herein, for example, as described above with regard to eNBs302 ₁-302 _(N), and MME 304 ₁ can include functionality as more fullydescribed herein, for example, as described above with regard to system300.

In an aspect, access point devices such as, eNB 302, NodeBs of UniversalTerrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) 402, Home eNB (HeNB) 404 (e.g.,femtocell access points, pico stations, small cell access points, etc.)can select corresponding control plane devices such as, MME 1 304 ₁ andS4-SGSN 406 respectively for handling specific traffic (e.g., M2Mtraffic). Moreover, on determining that user equipment (e.g., LTE UE 408and/or 3G UE 410) are M2M devices, the access point devices cancommunicate with the selected control plane devices to facilitateend-to-end control plane session and connection establishment. As anexample, the control plane can be established with an M2M applicationserver (AS) 412, via a Machine Type Communication Interworking Function(MTC IWF) 414. Once the end-to-end control plane session has beenestablished, user plane data can be communicated between the userequipment (e.g., LTE UE 408 and/or 3G UE 410) and the M2M AS 412. As anexample, the M2M AS 412 can be coupled to the eNB 302 via servinggateway (SGW) 416 and Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) 418.

During point-to-multipoint broadcast technology, for example, MultimediaBroadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) (or evolved MBMS (eMBMS)), broadcastcore network nodes such as the MBMS gateway (MGW) 420 can determine thededicated M2M MME, MME 1 304 ₁, based on data received via an Sminterface. In an aspect, the MGW 420 can employ the MME 1 304 ₁ tocommunicate any M2M service specific broadcast related control planeexchange messages received from a Broadcast Multicast Service Controller(BMSC) 422 that manages broadcast of multimedia content from a contentprovider 424. As an example, the content provider 424 can include publicland mobile network (PLMN)-internal providers and/or external contentproviders (e.g., coupled via an external packet data network, such as,the Internet). Multimedia content can include streaming services, live(or near-live) mobile TV, on-demand video, radio broadcasting, filedownloads, subscription notifications, advertisements/promotions,software updates, and/or emergency alerts.

According to an embodiment, the BMSC 422 can perform authentication,content authorization, billing and/or configuration of the data flowthrough the cellular network and can act as a proxy content server.Moreover, BMSC 422 can provide at least the following functions: (i)managing authorizations and generating charging records (Membershipfunction); (ii) Scheduling of eMBMS sessions and transmissions (Sessionand Transmission function); (iii) Operating as a proxy agent forsignaling between Gateway GPRS Support Nodes (GGSNs) and other BMSCsub-functions, transparent to the GGSNs; (iv) generating chargingrecords for content provider charging of transmitted data (Proxy andTransport function); (v) providing service announcements for multicastand broadcast user services (Service Announcement function); and (vi)managing security functionality for MBMS (Security function).

The BMSC 422 can communicate with the MGW 420 to establish a controlplane and once established, transfer the content to the MGW 420 over theuser-plane. Typically, the BMSC 422 can initiate eMBMS sessionprocedures for end-to-end control plane message exchanges between theBMSC 422 and access points (eNB 302, UTRAN 402, HeNB 404). In oneaspect, to establish these eMBMS session procedures, a BMSC 422 can bemanually pre-provisioned with information (e.g.,identification/addressing data) for all its downstream control devices(e.g., MGWs, MMEs, and/or SGSNs). Alternatively, in another aspect, theBMSC 422 can have a simplified design that simply initiates sessionexchange procedural triggers and the MGW 420 intelligently anddynamically selects downstream control plane devices, such as the MME 1304 ₁, based on an analysis of various parameters (e.g., domain nameserver (DNS) records, round trip time (RTT), load information,active/inactive link status, type of content, etc.). Moreover, ifdetermined that content is to be broadcast to M2M devices (e.g., LTE UE408 and/or 3G UE 410), the BMSC 422 and/or MGW 420 can select controlplane devices (e.g., MME 1 304 ₁, and/or S4-SGSN 406) that have beenassigned/reserved to handle only M2M traffic.

Once the control plane has been established, the MGW 420 can route themultimedia content received from the BMSC 422 to all access points(e.g., eNB 302, UTRAN 402, HeNB 404) participating in the broadcast, forexample, by employing IP multicast for downlink packet delivery. In oneexample, the access points can utilize single-frequency network (SFN)technology to broadcast the content into specified service areas, suchthat all contributing access points broadcast the same content duringthe same radio time slots. UEs (e.g., LTE UE 408 and/or 3G UE 410) canselect subscribed broadcast streams within the SFN and receive relevantmultimedia content. Although, the systems and methods disclosed hereinare described with reference to a LTE network, it is noted that thesubject specification is not so limited and can be implemented/utilizedin various communication networks that perform multimedia contentbroadcast. Further, it is noted that different signaling interfaces canbe utilized for different communication networks and the subjectspecification is not limited to utilization of the interfacesillustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example system 500 that depicts an example mappingof eNBs with their serving MMEs, according to aspects of the disclosedsubject matter. In LTE/LTE-A networks, the eNB employs S1-MME/M3 StreamControl Transmission Protocol (SCTP) based interfaces to setup the S1/M3links prior to exchanging the S1AP and M3AP application layer protocolmessages with its serving MME. The eNB can be supported by a standaloneMME in a 1:1 paired mode, in which case there is a single S1/M3connection. Although this type of connection is simpler for transportconnectivity as well as IP addressing, it has significant drawbacks interms of capacity and scalability. Typically, in a large mobile operatorenvironment, the eNBs deployed within different tracking areas (e.g.,tracking areas 502 ₁-502 ₂) can be supported by a pooled MMEconfiguration, wherein several MMEs (e.g., MMEs 504 _(x1)-504 _(zk)) areavailable to serve the eNBs.

Conventional eNBs utilized a simplistic static round robin manner toselect MMEs for establishing control plane connections and each MME hasS1/M3 connection towards each eNB. In pooled configurations, the eNB IPaddressing configuration across S1/M3 interfaces becomes complex as thenumber of MMEs grow in the pool. While this arrangement is good forcapacity and load sharing, it may not be ideal when a subset of thispool is targeted to carry M2M/IoT traffic. Lack of a flexible design fordedicated M2M traffic handling may lead to unforeseen network andmission critical service outage issues resulting from stormy networkconditions, disaster situations, network element failover, transportbackhaul failures, data center facilities issues etc. In small pools,the problem could be exacerbated if a large volume of M2M type devicesis trying to attach to the network in such situations where limited MMEpool resources are available and as a result, a large number of theseM2M devices need to be throttled back for delayed entry to the network.In some cases, these M2M devices could be reporting emergency conditionsto the network that may require prompt attention and resolution. Such adelayed core network acceptance and end service delivery may lead topoor customer satisfaction and subscriber churn.

Referring back to FIG. 5, there depicted is a pooled architecturewherein the MMEs (e.g., MMEs 504 _(x1)-504 _(zk)) can be distributedacross data centers 506 _(x)-506 _(z), for example, to creategeo-redundancy. Pools can be designed to be uniform or non-uniformdepending on operator specific deployment criteria. The MMEs (e.g., MMEs504 _(x1)-504 _(zk)) in the pool configuration can have unique MME codesand identical group IDs. When a set of these MMEs (MME-M) are designatedfor M2M/IoT traffic, they can continue to utilize the same MME code butbe mapped with a dedicated group ID to indicate that they handle onlyM2M traffic (and/or are prohibited from handling non-M2M traffic),resulting in efficient pool partitioning. Accurate mapping of suchupstream MME nodes is utilized by the eNB to intelligently select thetargeted MME-M. In one aspect, an eNB within a tracking area (e.g.,tracking area 502 ₁-502 ₂) can determine a device type (e.g., M2M deviceor non-M2M device) of a device that is attempting to connect (or hasconnected to) the eNB and determine the MME mapping (e.g., mapping ofthe eNB to a MME that is designated as an MME-M for handling only M2Mtraffic) during its S1/M3 setup. Additionally or alternately, the eNB scan receive information via a trigger-based polling from a networkmanagement system (e.g., management component 206). Such a pre-definedeNB to MME-M mapping, dynamic learning with changes in the core networkand targeted S1/M3 message exchange mechanism with the list of rightMME-M control nodes in the core network based on M2M device type and/orpriority can result in optimal MME node selection customized to handleM2M traffic. Accordingly, complex HSS configuration for the M2M devices,NAS layer re-routing, and/or additional S1/M3 signaling to select theright MME-M can be avoided by the dynamic MME selection by the eNBs ofsystem 500.

Although only three tracking areas 502 ₁-502 ₂ and three regional poolsX-Z are depicted, it can be appreciated that the subject disclosure isnot limited to three tracking areas and/or pools and can be implementedwith one or more datacenters deployed within a greater or fewer numberof tracking areas and/or regional pools. It can be noted that the eNBsdeployed within the tracking areas 502 ₁-502 ₂ can be substantiallysimilar to eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N) and can include functionality as morefully described herein, for example, as described above with regard toeNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N). Further, the MMEs deployed within the data centers504 _(x1)-504 _(z2) can be substantially similar to MMEs 302 ₁-302 _(K)and include functionality as more fully described herein, for example,as described above with regard to MMEs 302 ₁-302 _(K).

Referring now to FIG. 6, there illustrated is an example system 600 thatemploys an artificial intelligence (AI) component (602) to facilitateautomating one or more features in accordance with the subjectembodiments. It can be noted that the access point 102, messagingcomponent 202, selection component 108, mapping data 210, data store212, and routing component 214 can include functionality as more fullydescribed herein, for example, as described above with regard to systems100-200.

In an example embodiment, system 600 (e.g., in connection withautomatically selecting upstream control plane devices) can employvarious AI-based schemes (e.g., intelligent processing/analysis, machinelearning, etc.) for carrying out various aspects thereof. For example, aprocess for determining which devices to select and/or optimal SGSNs orMMEs for a target service or customized for specific type of UE,service, and/or data session etc. can be facilitated via an automaticclassifier system implemented by AI component 602. Moreover, the AIcomponent 602 can various exploit artificial intelligence (AI) methodsor machine learning methods. Artificial intelligence techniques cantypically apply advanced mathematical algorithms—e.g., decision trees,neural networks, regression analysis, principal component analysis (PCA)for feature and pattern extraction, cluster analysis, genetic algorithm,or reinforced learning—to a data set. In particular, AI component 602can employ one of numerous methodologies for learning from data and thendrawing inferences from the models so constructed. For example, HiddenMarkov Models (HMMs) and related prototypical dependency models can beemployed. General probabilistic graphical models, such asDempster-Shafer networks and Bayesian networks like those created bystructure search using a Bayesian model score or approximation can alsobe utilized. In addition, linear classifiers, such as support vectormachines (SVMs), non-linear classifiers like methods referred to as“neural network” methodologies, fuzzy logic methodologies can also beemployed.

As will be readily appreciated from the subject specification, anexample embodiment can employ classifiers that are explicitly trained(e.g., via a generic training data) as well as implicitly trained (e.g.,via observing device/operator preferences, historical information,receiving extrinsic information, type of service, type of device, etc.).For example, SVMs can be configured via a learning or training phasewithin a classifier constructor and feature selection module. Thus, theclassifier(s) of AI component 602 can be used to automatically learn andperform a number of functions, including but not limited to determiningaccording to a predetermined criteria, selection of SGSNs and/or MMEsfor control plane establishment. The criteria can include, but is notlimited to, historical patterns and/or trends, service providerpreferences and/or policies, predicted performance data of the controlplane devices, predicted load information of the control plane devices,event data, latency data, reliability/availability data, currenttime/date, and the like.

According to an embodiment, the network architecture disclosed hereinprovides several advantages and features such as, but not limited to,(i) providing enhanced intelligent eNB algorithms for tracking M2Mdevices based on their priority, device type, service type, and/or MMEloading during an RRC connection setup phase; (ii) facilitating eNB'sdynamic selection of MME nodes for targeted M2M traffic routingalleviates MME loading that could otherwise stem from large M2M devices;(iii) performing a simplified partitioning of regionally pooled MMEs anddedicating a subset of them for M2M traffic handling on-demand; (iv)providing a flexible network design that addresses MME-M failover and/orrerouting for session and/or connection establishment; (v) leveragingSCTP path management algorithms and/or customizing them between eNB andMME for optimization of M2M related S1-MME/M3 interface behavior; (vi)capital and/or operational cost savings as there is no need to re-investand manage dedicated MME-M design and/or configure the MME pooledresources for M2M; (vii) providing a distributed MME-M network topologydesign that benefits targeted premium broadcast and/or unicast servicesfor M2M device types; (viii) providing a robust core network design thatis M2M/IoT scalable, future proof and 5G ready; etc.

FIGS. 7-8 illustrate flow diagrams and/or methods in accordance with thedisclosed subject matter. For simplicity of explanation, the flowdiagrams and/or methods are depicted and described as a series of acts.It is to be understood and appreciated that the various embodiments arenot limited by the acts illustrated and/or by the order of acts, forexample acts can occur in various orders and/or concurrently, and withother acts not presented and described herein. Furthermore, not allillustrated acts may be required to implement the flow diagrams and/ormethods in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. In addition,those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that the methodscould alternatively be represented as a series of interrelated statesvia a state diagram or events. Additionally, it should be furtherappreciated that the methods disclosed hereinafter and throughout thisspecification are capable of being stored on an article of manufactureto facilitate transporting and transferring such methods to computers.The term article of manufacture, as used herein, is intended toencompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readabledevice or computer-readable storage/communications media.

Referring now to FIG. 7 there illustrated is an example method 700 thatfacilitates efficient control node selection, according to an aspect ofthe subject disclosure. In an aspect, method 700 can be implemented byone or more RAN devices (e.g., access point 102) of a communicationnetwork (e.g., cellular network). At 702, a request for connection to anaccess point can be received from a UE. In one aspect, the request cancomprise a RRC connection request. As an example, the RRC connectionrequest can include information such as, but is not limited to, the UE'sidentity, connection establishment cause (e.g., emergency service ornon-emergency service), type of UE (e.g., M2M device or non-M2M device),UE category and/or classes (e.g., category 1-category 9), service type(e.g., low priority data application, voice traffic, video traffic,mission critical application, etc.), and the like. Alternatively, theinformation can be requested through one or more other messagesexchanged between the UE and the access point. At 704, mapping data(e.g., an internal mapping table) can be determined based on an analysisof the request. At 706, control plane node related data associated withcontrol nodes can be determined. As an example, the control plane noderelated data can include, but is not limited to, current (and/orpredicted) load and/or traffic utilization of the control plane nodes,control plane node pool dynamics, round trip latency associated withdata packets sent between the access point and the control plane node,identities and/or address data of control plane nodes that aredesignated (e.g., by other access points and/or other network devices)for handling specific services (e.g., M2M traffic), etc.

At 708, an appropriate control plane node can be selected based on themapping data and/or the control plane node related data. For example, ifdetermined that the UE is an M2M device, a control node reserved forhandling M2M traffic can be selected, otherwise if the UE is a non-M2Mdevice, an optimal control node can be selected from a control nodepool. At 710, a signaling setup exchange procedure can be setup for theUE via the selected control plane node.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example method 800 that facilitates efficient M2Msetup, according to an aspect of the subject disclosure. As an example,method 800 can be implemented by one or more RAN devices (e.g., accesspoint 102) of a communication network (e.g., cellular network). At 802,request data to access a communication network can be received from aUE. As an example, the request can comprise a RRC connection requestcomprising information such as, but is not limited to, the UE'sidentity, connection establishment cause (e.g., emergency service ornon-emergency service), type of UE (e.g., M2M device or non-M2M device),UE category and/or class, service type (e.g., low priority dataapplication, voice traffic, video traffic, mission critical application,etc.), and the like. At 804, it can be determined that the UE is an M2Mdevice, for example, based on an analysis of the request data. In oneexample, an eNB serving the UE can extract the information from therequest data and create an internal mapping table. In addition, the eNBcan receive MME pool dynamics and/or dedicated service specific MMEsalong with their instantaneous traffic utilization and/or round triplatency from a coordinated network management system. In one aspect, theeNB can perform a correlation mapping of the varying number of devicesit has to serve based on the above attributes (e.g., extracted and/orreceived data). For example, the eNB can reject low priority deviceswith an extended backoff based on its internal attributes to maintain asafety net for operation. Further, at 806, an MME that has beendesignated to handle M2M traffic can be selected, for example, based onthe internal mapping and/or the received data. Furthermore, at 808,establishment of an end-to-end control plane can be facilitated via theselected MME. Moreover, the MME can complete the signaling setupexchange procedures for the UE and ensure that the UE is appropriatelyattached to the communication network. In one aspect, a continuous,proactive, periodic, and/or frequent mapping of RAN and MME networkelements can be maintained and/or updated in the network managementsystem so that the eNB has updated information to evaluating its peernodes health and utilization for ensuring smart and efficient S1/M3signaling routing to the optimal MME in the network.

With respect to FIG. 9, in example embodiment 900, access point 910 canreceive and transmit signal(s) (e.g., traffic and control signals) fromand to wireless devices, access terminals, wireless ports and routers,etc., through a set of antennas 969 ₁-969 _(N). It should be appreciatedthat while antennas 969 ₁-969 _(N) are a part of communication platform925, which comprises electronic components and associated circuitry thatprovides for processing and manipulating of received signal(s) (e.g., apacket flow) and signal(s) (e.g., a broadcast control channel) to betransmitted. In an aspect, communication platform 925 includes atransmitter/receiver (e.g., a transceiver) 966 that can convertsignal(s) from analog format to digital format upon reception, and fromdigital format to analog format upon transmission. In addition,receiver/transmitter 966 can divide a single data stream into multiple,parallel data streams, or perform the reciprocal operation. Coupled totransceiver 966 is a multiplexer/demultiplexer 967 that facilitatesmanipulation of signal in time and frequency space. Electronic component967 can multiplex information (data/traffic and control/signaling)according to various multiplexing schemes such as time divisionmultiplexing (TDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), orthogonalfrequency division multiplexing (OFDM), code division multiplexing(CDM), space division multiplexing (SDM). In addition, mux/demuxcomponent 967 can scramble and spread information (e.g., codes)according to substantially any code known in the art; e.g.,Hadamard-Walsh codes, Baker codes, Kasami codes, polyphase codes, and soon. A modulator/demodulator 968 is also a part of operational group 925,and can modulate information according to multiple modulationtechniques, such as frequency modulation, amplitude modulation (e.g.,M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), with M a positive integer),phase-shift keying (PSK), and the like.

Access point 910 also includes a processor 945 configured to conferfunctionality, at least partially, to substantially any electroniccomponent in the access point 910, in accordance with aspects of thesubject disclosure. In particular, processor 945 can facilitate accesspoint 910 to implement configuration instructions received throughcommunication platform 925, which can include storing data in memory955. In addition, processor 945 facilitates access point 910 to processdata (e.g., symbols, bits, or chips) for multiplexing/demultiplexing,such as effecting direct and inverse fast Fourier transforms, selectionof modulation rates, selection of data packet formats, inter-packettimes, etc. Moreover, processor 945 can manipulate antennas 969 ₁-969_(N) to facilitate beamforming or selective radiation pattern formation,which can benefit specific locations (e.g., basement, home office . . .) covered by access point; and exploit substantially any otheradvantages associated with smart-antenna technology. Memory 955 canstore data structures, code instructions, system or device informationlike device identification codes (e.g., IMEI, MSISDN, serial number . .. ) and specification such as multimode capabilities; code sequences forscrambling; spreading and pilot transmission, floor plan configuration,access point deployment and frequency plans; and so on. Moreover, memory955 can store configuration information such as schedules and policies;access point address(es) or geographical indicator(s); access lists(e.g., white lists); license(s) for utilization of add-features foraccess point 910, and so forth. In addition, data store 212 can comprisememory 955 that stores mapping data 210.

In embodiment 900, processor 945 is coupled to the memory 955 in orderto store and retrieve information necessary to operate and/or conferfunctionality to communication platform 925, broadband network interface935 (e.g., a broadband modem), and other operational components (e.g.,multimode chipset(s), power supply sources . . . ; not shown) thatsupport the access point 910. In one embodiment, the access point 910can further include the selection component 108, the messaging component202, the routing component 214, and/or the AI component 602, which caninclude functionality, as more fully described herein, for example, withregard to systems 100-600. In addition, it is to be noted that thevarious aspects disclosed in the subject specification can also beimplemented through (i) program modules stored in a computer-readablestorage medium or memory (e.g., memory 955) and executed by a processor(e.g., processor 945), or (ii) other combination(s) of hardware andsoftware, or hardware and firmware. Access point 102, eNBs 302 ₁-302_(N), eNB 302, NodeB of the UTRAN 402, and/or HeNB 404, can besubstantially similar to, and can include at least a portion of thefunctionality described with reference to, access point 910.

Referring now to FIG. 10, there is illustrated a block diagram of acomputer 1002 operable to execute the disclosed communicationarchitecture. In order to provide additional context for various aspectsof the disclosed subject matter, FIG. 10 and the following discussionare intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitablecomputing environment 1000 in which the various aspects of thespecification can be implemented. While the specification has beendescribed above in the general context of computer-executableinstructions that can run on one or more computers, those skilled in theart will recognize that the specification also can be implemented incombination with other program modules and/or as a combination ofhardware and software.

Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, datastructures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particularabstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the inventive methods can be practiced with other computer systemconfigurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor computersystems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, as well as personalcomputers, hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based orprogrammable consumer electronics, and the like, each of which can beoperatively coupled to one or more associated devices.

The illustrated aspects of the specification can also be practiced indistributed computing environments where certain tasks are performed byremote processing devices that are linked through a communicationsnetwork. In a distributed computing environment, program modules can belocated in both local and remote memory storage devices.

Computing devices typically include a variety of media, which caninclude computer-readable storage media and/or communications media,which two terms are used herein differently from one another as follows.Computer-readable storage media can be any available storage media thatcan be accessed by the computer and includes both volatile andnonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example,and not limitation, computer-readable storage media can be implementedin connection with any method or technology for storage of informationsuch as computer-readable instructions, program modules, structureddata, or unstructured data. Computer-readable storage media can include,but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memorytechnology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical diskstorage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or other tangible and/or non-transitorymedia which can be used to store desired information. Computer-readablestorage media can be accessed by one or more local or remote computingdevices, e.g., via access requests, queries or other data retrievalprotocols, for a variety of operations with respect to the informationstored by the medium.

Communications media typically embody computer-readable instructions,data structures, program modules or other structured or unstructureddata in a data signal such as a modulated data signal, e.g., a carrierwave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information deliveryor transport media. The term “modulated data signal” or signals refersto a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changedin such a manner as to encode information in one or more signals. By wayof example, and not limitation, communication media include wired media,such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless mediasuch as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.

With reference again to FIG. 10, the example environment 1000 forimplementing various aspects of the specification includes a computer1002, the computer 1002 including a processing unit 1004, a systemmemory 1006 and a system bus 1008. As an example, the component(s),application(s) server(s), equipment, system(s), interface(s),gateway(s), controller(s), node(s) and/or device(s) (e.g., access point102, control plane device(s) 104, UE 106, selection component 108,messaging component 202, data collection component 204, managementcomponent 206, analysis component 208, data store 212, routing component214, eNBs 302 ₁-302 _(N), eNB 302, MMEs 304 ₁-304 _(K), UEs 310 ₁-310_(J), UTRAN 402, HeNB 404, S4-SGSN 406, UE 408, UE 410, M2M AS 412, MTCIWF 414, SGW 416, PGW 418, MGW 420, BMSC 422, content provide 424, eNBswithin tracking areas 502 ₁-502 ₃, datacenters 504 _(X1)-504 _(X2), 504_(Y1)-504 _(Y2), 504 _(Z1)-504 _(Z2), AI component 602, etc.) disclosedherein with respect to systems 100-600 can each include at least aportion of the computer 1002. The system bus 1008 couples systemcomponents including, but not limited to, the system memory 1006 to theprocessing unit 1004. The processing unit 1004 can be any of variouscommercially available processors. Dual microprocessors and othermulti-processor architectures can also be employed as the processingunit 1004.

The system bus 1008 can be any of several types of bus structure thatcan further interconnect to a memory bus (with or without a memorycontroller), a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety ofcommercially available bus architectures. The system memory 1006includes read-only memory (ROM) 1010 and random access memory (RAM)1012. A basic input/output system (BIOS) is stored in a non-volatilememory 1010 such as ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, which BIOS contains the basicroutines that help to transfer information between elements within thecomputer 1002, such as during startup. The RAM 1012 can also include ahigh-speed RAM such as static RAM for caching data.

The computer 1002 further includes an internal hard disk drive (HDD)1014, which internal hard disk drive 1014 can also be configured forexternal use in a suitable chassis (not shown), a magnetic floppy diskdrive (FDD) 1016, (e.g., to read from or write to a removable diskette1018) and an optical disk drive 1020, (e.g., reading a CD-ROM disk 1022or, to read from or write to other high capacity optical media such asthe DVD). The hard disk drive 1014, magnetic disk drive 1016 and opticaldisk drive 1020 can be connected to the system bus 1008 by a hard diskdrive interface 1024, a magnetic disk drive interface 1026 and anoptical drive interface 1028, respectively. The interface 1024 forexternal drive implementations includes at least one or both ofUniversal Serial Bus (USB) and IEEE 1394 interface technologies. Otherexternal drive connection technologies are within contemplation of thesubject disclosure.

The drives and their associated computer-readable storage media providenonvolatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executableinstructions, and so forth. For the computer 1002, the drives andstorage media accommodate the storage of any data in a suitable digitalformat. Although the description of computer-readable storage mediaabove refers to a HDD, a removable magnetic diskette, and a removableoptical media such as a CD or DVD, it should be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that other types of storage media which are readableby a computer, such as zip drives, magnetic cassettes, flash memorycards, solid-state disks (SSD), cartridges, and the like, can also beused in the example operating environment, and further, that any suchstorage media can contain computer-executable instructions forperforming the methods of the specification.

A number of program modules can be stored in the drives and RAM 1012,including an operating system 1030, one or more application programs1032, other program modules 1034 and program data 1036. All or portionsof the operating system, applications, modules, and/or data can also becached in the RAM 1012. It is appreciated that the specification can beimplemented with various commercially available operating systems orcombinations of operating systems.

A user can enter commands and information into the computer 1002 throughone or more wired/wireless input devices, e.g., a keyboard 1038 and/or apointing device, such as a mouse 1040 or a touchscreen or touchpad (notillustrated). These and other input devices are often connected to theprocessing unit 1004 through an input device interface 1042 that iscoupled to the system bus 1008, but can be connected by otherinterfaces, such as a parallel port, an IEEE 1394 serial port, a gameport, a USB port, an IR interface, etc. A monitor 1044 or other type ofdisplay device is also connected to the system bus 1008 via aninterface, such as a video adapter 1046.

The computer 1002 can operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections via wired and/or wireless communications to one or moreremote computers, such as a remote computer(s) 1048. The remotecomputer(s) 1048 can be a workstation, a server computer, a router, apersonal computer, portable computer, microprocessor-based entertainmentappliance, a peer device or other common network node, and typicallyincludes many or all of the elements described relative to the computer1002, although, for purposes of brevity, only a memory/storage device1050 is illustrated. The logical connections depicted includewired/wireless connectivity to a local area network (LAN) 1052 and/orlarger networks, e.g., a wide area network (WAN) 1054. Such LAN and WANnetworking environments are commonplace in offices and companies, andfacilitate enterprise-wide computer networks, such as intranets, all ofwhich can connect to a global communications network, e.g., theInternet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 1002 isconnected to the local network 1052 through a wired and/or wirelesscommunication network interface or adapter 1056. The adapter 1056 canfacilitate wired or wireless communication to the LAN 1052, which canalso include a wireless access point disposed thereon for communicatingwith the wireless adapter 1056.

When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 1002 can includea modem 1058, or is connected to a communications server on the WAN1054, or has other means for establishing communications over the WAN1054, such as by way of the Internet. The modem 1058, which can beinternal or external and a wired or wireless device, is connected to thesystem bus 1008 via the serial port interface 1042. In a networkedenvironment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 1002, orportions thereof, can be stored in the remote memory/storage device1050. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown areexample and other means of establishing a communications link betweenthe computers can be used.

The computer 1002 is operable to communicate with any wireless devicesor entities operatively disposed in wireless communication, e.g.,desktop and/or portable computer, server, communications satellite, etc.This includes at least WiFi and Bluetooth™ wireless technologies orother communication technologies. Thus, the communication can be apredefined structure as with a conventional network or simply an ad hoccommunication between at least two devices.

WiFi, or Wireless Fidelity networks use radio technologies called IEEE802.11 (a, b, g, n, etc.) to provide secure, reliable, fast wirelessconnectivity. A WiFi network can be used to connect computers to eachother, to the Internet, and to wired networks (which use IEEE 802.3 orEthernet). WiFi networks operate in the unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz radiobands, at an 11 Mbps (802.11a) or 54 Mbps (802.11b) data rate, forexample, or with products that contain both bands (dual band), so thenetworks can provide real-world performance similar to the basic 10BaseTwired Ethernet networks used in many offices.

As it employed in the subject specification, the term “processor” canrefer to substantially any computing processing unit or devicecomprising, but not limited to comprising, single-core processors;single-processors with software multithread execution capability;multi-core processors; multi-core processors with software multithreadexecution capability; multi-core processors with hardware multithreadtechnology; parallel platforms; and parallel platforms with distributedshared memory. Additionally, a processor can refer to an integratedcircuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digitalsignal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), aprogrammable logic controller (PLC), a complex programmable logic device(CPLD), a discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardwarecomponents, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functionsdescribed herein. Processors can exploit nano-scale architectures suchas, but not limited to, molecular and quantum-dot based transistors,switches and gates, in order to optimize space usage or enhanceperformance of user equipment. A processor may also be implemented as acombination of computing processing units.

In the subject specification, terms such as “data store,” data storage,”“database,” “cache,” and substantially any other information storagecomponent relevant to operation and functionality of a component, referto “memory components,” or entities embodied in a “memory” or componentscomprising the memory. It will be appreciated that the memorycomponents, or computer-readable storage media, described herein can beeither volatile memory or nonvolatile memory, or can include bothvolatile and nonvolatile memory. By way of illustration, and notlimitation, nonvolatile memory can include read only memory (ROM),programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM),electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory caninclude random access memory (RAM), which acts as external cache memory.By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in manyforms such as synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronousDRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM(ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM).Additionally, the disclosed memory components of systems or methodsherein are intended to comprise, without being limited to comprising,these and any other suitable types of memory.

Referring now to FIG. 11, there is illustrated a schematic block diagramof a computing environment 1100 in accordance with the subjectspecification. The system 1100 includes one or more client(s) 1102. Theclient(s) 1102 can be hardware and/or software (e.g., threads,processes, computing devices).

The system 1100 also includes one or more server(s) 1104. The server(s)1104 can also be hardware and/or software (e.g., threads, processes,computing devices). The servers 1104 can house threads to performtransformations by employing the specification, for example. Onepossible communication between a client 1102 and a server 1104 can be inthe form of a data packet adapted to be transmitted between two or morecomputer processes. The data packet may include a cookie and/orassociated contextual information, for example. The system 1100 includesa communication framework 1106 (e.g., a global communication networksuch as the Internet, cellular network, etc.) that can be employed tofacilitate communications between the client(s) 1102 and the server(s)1104.

Communications can be facilitated via a wired (including optical fiber)and/or wireless technology. The client(s) 1102 are operatively connectedto one or more client data store(s) 1108 that can be employed to storeinformation local to the client(s) 1102 (e.g., cookie(s) and/orassociated contextual information). Similarly, the server(s) 1104 areoperatively connected to one or more server data store(s) 1110 that canbe employed to store information local to the servers 1104.

What has been described above includes examples of the presentspecification. It is, of course, not possible to describe everyconceivable combination of components or methods for purposes ofdescribing the present specification, but one of ordinary skill in theart may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of thepresent specification are possible. Accordingly, the presentspecification is intended to embrace all such alterations, modificationsand variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used ineither the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended tobe inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as“comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in aclaim.

What is claimed is:
 1. An access point device, comprising: a processor;and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed bythe processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:receiving, from a network management device of a communication network,identifier data indicative of respective group identifiers assigned tocontrol plane devices that serve the access point device, wherein agroup identifier of the respective group identifiers specifies acategory of traffic handled by a group of the control plane devices, andwherein the identifier data is determined based on a result of pollingthe control plane devices; and based on the identifier data and servicedata associated with a service related to a user equipment that is to beserved by the access point device, selecting a control plane device ofthe control plane devices to facilitate control plane establishment forthe service.
 2. The access point device of claim 1, wherein the servicedata comprises classification data indicative of a type of the service.3. The access point device of claim 2, wherein the type of the servicecomprises the type of an emergency service.
 4. The access point deviceof claim 1, wherein the service data comprises priority data indicativeof a priority assigned to the service.
 5. The access point device ofclaim 1, wherein the service data comprises a delay sensitivity metricassociated with the service representative of an extent to which theservice is sensitive to a delay in provision of the service.
 6. Theaccess point device of claim 1, wherein the selecting the control planedevice comprises selecting the control plane device based on categorydata indicative of a category to which the user equipment is determinedto belong.
 7. The access point device of claim 1, wherein the selectingthe control plane device comprises selecting the control plane devicebased on load data indicative of a load associated with the controlplane devices.
 8. The access point device of claim 1, wherein theselecting the control plane device comprises selecting the control planedevice based on performance data indicative of a performance metricassociated with the control plane devices.
 9. The access point device ofclaim 1, wherein the selecting the control plane device comprisesselecting the control plane device based on policy data associated withthe communication network.
 10. The access point device of claim 1,wherein the selecting the control plane device comprises selecting thecontrol plane device based on timing data associated with a round triptime for transmission of a message between the access point device andthe control plane device.
 11. The access point device of claim 1,wherein the selecting the control plane device comprises selecting thecontrol plane device based on availability data indicative of anavailability of the control plane devices.
 12. The access point deviceof claim 1, wherein the selecting the control plane device comprisesselecting the control plane device based on reliability data indicativeof a reliability metric associated with the control plane devices. 13.The access point device of claim 1, wherein the selecting the controlplane device comprises selecting the control plane device based ondetermined event data.
 14. A method, comprising: determining, by anaccess point device comprising a processor, identifier data indicativeof respective group identifiers assigned to control plane devices, of acommunication network, that serve the access point device, wherein agroup identifier of the respective group identifiers specifies acategory of traffic handled by a group of the control plane devices, andwherein the identifier data is determined based on a result of pollingthe control plane devices; and based on the identifier data and servicedata associated with a service related to a user equipment that is to beserved by the access point device, selecting, by the access pointdevice, a control plane device of the control plane devices tofacilitate control plane establishment for the service.
 15. The methodof claim 14, wherein the determining the identifier data comprisesreceiving the identifier data from a network management device of thecommunication network.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the selectingthe control plane device comprises selecting the control plane devicebased on event data associated with a defined area served by the controlplane device.
 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the user equipmentcomprises an Internet of things device and the selecting the controlplane device comprises selecting the control plane device based onverifying that the control plane device is designated to serve Internetof things traffic.
 18. A machine-readable storage medium, comprisingexecutable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitateperformance of operations, comprising: determining identifier dataindicative of respective group identifiers assigned to control planedevices, of a communication network, that serve an access point device,wherein a group identifier of the respective group identifiers isindicative of a category of traffic handled by a group of the controlplane devices, and wherein the identifier data is determined based onrespective results of polling the control plane devices; and based onthe identifier data and service data associated with a service relatedto a user equipment that is to be served by the access point device,selecting a control plane device of the control plane devices tofacilitate control plane establishment for the service.
 19. Themachine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the selectingcomprises selecting the control plane device based on information thatrepresents a traffic utilization of the control plane device.
 20. Themachine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the selectingcomprises selecting the control plane device based on information thatrepresents a capacity of the control plane device.